River House

Osage County, MO, United States

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Other Projects by Barton Phelps and Associates

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Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA

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Will and Ariel Durant Branch, Los Angeles Public Library

River House

Osage County, MO, United States

Firm

Barton Phelps and Associates

Type

Residential › Private House
Hospitality + Sport › Hotel
Cultural › Cultural Center
Industrial › Research Facility

YEAR

2002

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

This big house begins the transformation of a working farm in the Missouri Ozarks into a retreat facility and ecological study center. Set on a bluff overlooking the Osage River and bordered on three sides by forest, the house is a frame in plan. Clusters of rooms are organized around a central court, an active socializing space itself defining a niche in the larger landscape. Upon entering the court, one gets a first sight of the river below. On the west, walkways slice between two-story suites giving private access to overlooks, old-growth glens, limestone springs, and assorted natural wonders. Sitting rooms and screened porches cantilever over the forest floor to soften the shift from built to unbuilt.View corridors, opened through the forest, precisely frame selected views. Inside / outside relationships change from room to room. The living room projects axially along a clearing to take in distant bluffs. The dining room presses against the forest, mullions in its bowing window tilting with the tree trunks beyond. A rock wall drops off the bluff to encase a swimming pool two levels below. Rural sites require self-sufficiency. True North - South orientation and embedment in natural rock reduce energy requirements. A louvered arcade lessens summer heat gain. Thermally broken window frames and insulating glass minimize heat transfer. Heating and cooling are provided by a groundsource geothermal system using constant ground water temperature connected to heat pumps in attic spaces. Space heating efficiently combines radiant slabs and forced-air. Attic fans assist natural ventilation and ceiling fans keep rooms comfortable. Exterior materials – local fieldstone, wood siding, copper roofing - were selected for durability and natural finish.